In my research, I’ve found that there are Seven Types of Human Relationships and that our overall sense of well-being is significantly dependent upon the healthiness — with Trust probably being the most important characteristic — of our relationships with each of the seven types. This is important stuff, especially when building a great organization, what I call a “High Trust Company” (HTC). HTCs are companies where people feel like they belong, they are meaningfully contributing, they are appreciated, they trust the company and their colleagues and the company trusts them, they love why the company exists and where the leaders want to take it, they feel like their unalienable rights are respected, their Needs are being filled, and they want to meaningfully participate in the company’s journey,
I invite you to read more here: “Trust: A Forever Work In Progress:” Part Three: Personal Relationships.
In it, I dig into the concept of Trust and its impact on the Seven Types of Human Relationships. Here is the executive summary and action items from the original piece.
Executive Summary
- The vast majority of human beings have seven types of human relationships (7Rs) which include: others; our tribes; ourselves; things; concepts or ideas; the Universe, and time.
- Our Need is to have healthy relationships across all seven types.
- The “tribes” relationship is one of the most important. As we grow, we become part of groups that fulfill our needs, starting with the familial tribe. We form relationships with other individuals and with certain tribes to help us meet our Need for belonging.
- When we Work with others of similar values, interests, competencies and goals, we discover that our creative abilities are greatly enhanced. Together we can make / build things faster, easier, better, bigger and more valuable.
- As Workers, we create a High Trust Companies; places where we belong, contribute, are appreciated and simultaneously feel the company respects us and has our back. This makes us want to participate more and become part of the company’s growth.
- Creators know they will never be truly successful unless they Work with people they trust.